Papillon Movie Review 1973

McQueen is a criminal sent to Devil's Island in the 1930s determined to escape from the Lemote prison. Hoffman is the swindler he befriends. A series of escapes and recaptures follow. Boxoffice winner based on the autobiographical writings of French thief Henri Charriere. Excellent portrayal of prison life and fine performances from the prisoners. Certain segments would have been better left on the cutting room floor. The film's title refers to the lead's butterfly tattoo.

Distribution

Warner Home Video, Inc., 5775 Linder Canyon Rd., Westlake Village, CA 91362, URL: http://whv.warnerbros.com, Remarks: Does not handle retail queries from consumers; contact your local video distributor.

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 150 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Adventure Drama, Men in Prison, Great Escapes, Devil's Island, Buddies, Escaped Cons, Top Grossing Films of 1973

Screenplay

Dalton Trumbo, Lorenzo Semple

Cast

Steve McQueen, Dustin Hoffman, Victor Jory, George Coulouris, Anthony Zerbe

Cinematography

Fred W. Koenekamp

Director

Franklin J. Schaffner

Music

Jerry Goldsmith

Producer

Robert Dorfman